Fireflies serve as a recurring symbol of hope and possibility during experiences of danger, loss, and uncertainty. The novel introduces them in the Prologue, where a boy kicked from a car imagines the sparks from an exhaust pipe as a “fanciful fountain of fireflies” (2). The image introduces the fireflies in the midst of the boy’s frightening circumstances, associating them with his ability to perceive something beautiful even in a moment of danger. The symbol later acquires an explicitly religious significance when Chase recalls Unc using it to console him when he felt abandoned after learning that his biological parents wouldn’t be coming for him. Unc caught fireflies in a mason jar and used their light to reassure Chase that he wasn’t a mistake or a product of chance. He told Chase that this light was not a product of chance but of divine design, a reminder that “if God can make a firefly’s butt light up like a star, then anything is possible” (184). By connecting the firefly to God’s creation, Unc used its seemingly improbable light to encourage Chase to retain hope despite his sense of abandonment. Later, fireflies become associated with belonging as Chase, Sketch, and Unc spend an hour chasing them together, and a jar of fireflies is placed beside Sketch’s bed. Near the novel’s conclusion, they appear again as Sketch reaches for them while Chase, having finally learned the truth about his identity, carries him through the swamp. Across these appearances, the fireflies develop from an image glimpsed amid danger into a symbol of hope and possibility that accompanies Chase and Sketch as they move towards a sense of identity and familial belonging.

The orchids in Unc’s greenhouse are a symbol of resilience, growth, and the importance of care for children who have experienced hardship. In his “orchid speech” to Sketch, he explains that orchids grow in unusual places, clinging to bark instead of soil, and require a delicate balance of water, light, and air to thrive. He frames them as both fragile and “tough as nails” (170), capable of taking root in unlikely places and blooming for the world to see. The comparison applies to both Sketch and Chase, who recalls receiving the same “orchid speech” from Unc. By explaining the care an orchid needs—attention to its roots, a safe place to live, the right balance of water and light, and something to lean on—Unc illustrates the kind of sustained care and support that can help a child grow after difficult experiences. The speech supports the theme of Seeing Worth Beyond Suffering, presenting growth as possible when a child’s existing worth is met with safety, patience, and care. The orchid therefore symbolizes the capacity to grow and flourish despite difficult beginnings, provided the conditions for that growth are present; as Unc explains, with proper care, the orchids can “burst out in color” (171).